


A Change Would Do You Good

by sheyrenawyrsabane



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M, The Hat is its own character, Trades, Welcoming New Players to a Team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 18:44:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14624784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheyrenawyrsabane/pseuds/sheyrenawyrsabane
Summary: Like all players, Brian has a mentor. He just never thought he'd be assigned a mentee so soon.





	A Change Would Do You Good

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Snickfic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snickfic/gifts).



Despite having been a part of the program since 2012, Brian still sometimes feels like one of the new guys. Maybe it’s because he was up-and-down, not really a part of the  _ Penguins  _ until the 2015 season. This is probably exactly why they have the mentorship program; though personally, he thinks mentorship is a bit of a misnomer. 

When a player is traded for or called up, they’re paired with another player on the team. The same thing happened in Wilkes-Barre, it’s team bonding and an instant connection, someone to talk to and...do other stuff with. 

Some players stick with their mentor just for their first season then, once they forge their own connections, drift into a relationship with less sex. It’s a way to connect the team, sort of like a fraternity except, as far as Brian could tell, the Bigs and Littles didn’t fuck each other at Boston College. 

He’s one of the guys who let his mentorship settle into something less physical. He was paired with Olli, another defenseman, one who knew, at least partly, what Brian would go through. 

And it was good, the mentorship side. Olli is steady, and even Sid’s in awe of his work ethic. But he seemed to put a pause on whatever thing he and Tanger had going on to help Brian, and he thinks everyone’s happier now that they’re back to their usual arrangements.

That happens sometimes. He’s now part of Olli and Tanger’s chain. Whoever he mentors will be added to it as well. Sometimes, it works out like this, a long winding chain with most of its players still on the team. But Tanger’s mentor, Scuderi, was traded a while back. 

It’s supposed to be a family of sorts, a support network to fall back on during tough stretches of the season or the inevitable trades that come with being a hockey player. How involved a player is with their chain is entirely up to them. 

If he ever needed or wanted something, then he could go to Olli or Tanger, and he knows they’d be there for him. He finds it easier to seek out the other Wilkes-Barre call-ups; Rusty and Shearsy and Knuckles. 

He grew up in Biddeford, Maine, a town that boasts a population of 20,000 and a bunch of history museums. He fought for a place at Boston College, and he’s worked himself into the Penguins’ line-up, but he’s careful not to overstep. So he shakes his head after games when Olli glances towards the back rooms, and smiles politely at Tanger but never takes him up on any of his post-game offers.

Being Tanger’s d-pair is reward enough. It’s a sign that they trust him enough defensively to pair him with a guy who likes to charge in as if he’s a forward, leaving Brian as the one back in case something goes wrong. He knows some guys don’t like it; they want to be the Tanger or Subban or Karlsson, racking up points and putting themselves in the talks for the Norris. He doesn’t mind a more understated role. As long as his coaches and his teammates acknowledge that he’s playing well, he doesn’t care about anyone else.

Then, mid-way through December, they trade for Jamieson Oleksiak, and Coach Sullivan calls Brian into his office. At first, Brian thinks it’s going to be a talk about a reduction in his minutes or switching up the d-pairs again, but then he realizes there’d probably be more coaches in the room if that was the case. 

“I would like you to consider mentoring Jamie,” Coach Sullivan says. 

“Wouldn’t Schultzy be a better fit?” 

They put Schultz and Kessel together, because they have that undervalued by their former team thing going on. Not that Brian knows much about Oleksiak, but there have been some rumors out of the Stars, and they gave him up for a conditional 4th so…

“Schultzy is another potential fit.” Sully smiles as he leans back in his chair. “This isn’t soulmate science; we’re not looking for a One True Match. Plenty of players could fit well together, and I imagine that Jamie and Schultzy will talk about their previous teams at some point, but they don’t need a mentorship pairing to do that. And mentorships aren’t one-sided. I think there will be benefits for you as well.”

Brian stares, jaw slack, and Sully’s lips quirk up in a smile. Honestly, he never thought about it going both ways. He figured he was a burden on Olli until he figured his shit out, and Olli had enough responsibility on his shoulders without Brian adding his weight. It’s what made it better for him to wrestle with Knuckles when he was amped up or to slip his room key into Rusty’s back pocket when they were on the road. 

But maybe he misread that a bit. 

“Oh,” Brian finally says, since it looks like Sully’s waiting for him to say  _ something _ .

“Is there any reason you don’t think it will be a good match?”

He knows players can decline a mentorship. They don’t talk about it much, there’s a bit of a stigma associated with it, not being a “team guy,” but everyone on the team knows that Sid’s withdrawn his mentorship. The past two seasons have been hard on him with pillars of the franchise retiring or being traded; leaving for one reason or another. Brian doesn’t blame him for protecting himself in whatever ways he can.

He’s still their captain, but he won’t be taking on any new players. His chain will continue to grow through Geno who has responded to all of the changes by latching onto every winger they trade for. And every time one is traded away, he retreats back to Sid, because neither of them are going anywhere. 

He’s not sure what’s lonelier, knowing you could be traded at any time or knowing that you’ll be one of the few still left once everyone else is gone.  

Brian doesn’t have any good reasons to decline a mentorship. He’s nervous and a little afraid that he won’t be good at it, but he knows Sully well enough to know his coach would just smile and tell him it’s a good growth experience. 

“I can pick him up from the airport?” Brian offers.

Sully hands over a piece of paper with Oleksiak’s schedule for the next few days. He’s slated to play his first game at home against Columbus which gives him a couple days to settle in and meet the team. And Brian’s supposed to help settle him in. 

“Um?”

Sully, grinning as if this is the best entertainment he’s had in days, hands over a folder. Inside are details like the address for the hotel Oleksiak's staying at as well as his flight information. Brian nods and tucks the iterinary into the folder. 

“I guess I’ll head out then.”

“The team is here if you need anything,” Sully says. 

Brian leaves Sully’s office still a little stunned. He swings by the locker room to grab his bag which means he runs into a couple of his teammates. Olli spots the folder in his hands and smiles, one of those closed-lipped ones. 

“Congrats,” Schultzy says. 

“About damn time,” Tanger adds. 

Brian slings his bag over his shoulder. He grabs a Pens hat and plants it, backwards, on his head. 

“That won’t keep your ears warm,” Olli says. “It’s cold outside.”

Brian rolls his eyes.

“He doesn’t listen to me,” Olli sighs.

Tanger slings an arm around his shoulders. “Maybe what he needs in order to respect his mentor is having a mentee of his own. I remember someone else who thought he had everything figured out and didn’t need  _ any _ help--”

“Alright, alright.” Olli laughs and shoves Tanger away, but then he reaches out to pull him back. “I get it. I was difficult.”

“I’m not difficult,” Brian protests. He’s worked really hard to make sure he  _ isn’t  _ difficult. 

Olli’s expression softens. Tanger looks guilty for about two seconds before he leers, over the top and asks, “Are you saying you’re easy, Dumo?”

His traitorous cheeks flush pink, and he flips them all off before he heads out. He tries to think about what he wanted when he first came up to the Pens. It was different for him as a call-up. He knew the system and knew some of the guys and what he wanted was a permanent place on the team. That wasn’t something his mentor could give him. 

He arrives at the airport way too early, and he turns his hat around so he can tip the brim down. He isn’t like Sid or Geno or Phil, he probably won’t be recognized, but it’s better to be safe than let Oleksiak be mobbed at the airport. 

He takes the time to surf the internet and put together a list of places to go and things to do in Pittsburgh. He makes sure to note all his favorite places to eat near the hotel, along with whether they deliver and what the dress code is. He...actually comes up with a pretty complicated system that requires a key to explain what all the little symbols next to the names mean. A little tie for dress-up and a table for dine-in and a loaf of bread for the places with the best dinner rolls. 

He’s so into his notes that he doesn’t realize at first that Oleksiak’s plane has come in until his foot’s hit by a remote control car. He looks down at the red plastic toy then up at the little boy wielding the remote.

“Charles Alexander!” a frustrated mother shouts.

Brian slips away and searches through the crowd for Oleksiak. The dude’s easy to spot, being 6’7” and 250 will do that. Brian finds him waiting by the luggage carousel. 

“Hey,” he says, aiming for casual.

Oleksiak looks over then does a double take. 

Brian shoves his hands into his pockets, the folder tucked under his arm. “Uh, not what you were expecting?”

“I figured an intern or a hotel concierge with a sign. They start early here, huh?” 

Brian shrugs. “It’s different depending on the guy. I yo-yoed back and forth for a bit so…” He shrugs again. 

“I know how that one goes.” There’s a touch of self-deprecation in Oleksiak’s voice before he squares his shoulders and holds a hand out. “Jamie.”

“Brian.” They shake hands then Brian hands him the folder. “Your hotel information is in there. We can go there first and drop your stuff off if you want. Then I figured we’d eat?”

Oleksiak pulls out the paper with all Brian’s restaurant notes on it. “Does this come with an interpreter?” 

His cheeks flush pink again. “There’s a key at the bottom, but I can also explain it to you. We’ve got a little bit of everything in the city, so whatever you’re in the mood for, we can do that tonight.”

“Unpacking sounds like a good start.”

#

Jamie’s hotel room is intended for long-term use so there’s a kitchenette, and the closet is much larger than the ones when they’re on the road. Brian leans against the wall as Jamie sets his bags down on the bed. He feels useless as Jamie unzips his suitcase. Does he stand and watch as Jamie fills the room with as many personal touches as a hotel can hold? Should he offer to leave and come back later?

But all Jamie does is open the top pocket and pull out a travel toiletry bag. “How do you want to do this?” he asks. He pulls a condom and a quarter out of the bag. “We can flip for it.”

They could. But...Brian lets his gaze wander over the man sitting on the bed. His legs are spread wide to accommodate his thighs and even sitting down he’s big. Especially with the Pens, Brian’s used to being one of the bigger guys and that comes with certain assumptions and expectations. Assumptions and expectations that he’s now making about Jamie. 

He ducks his head, embarrassed for thinking about himself when this is supposed to be about making Jamie comfortable. “We can flip for it or you can tell me what you want. I told you earlier, this is your night. Whatever you’re in the mood for.”

“I thought that was about dinner?”

It seems like a good philosophy for everything. “Tonight is about you and helping you settle into the team.”

Eyebrows arched, skeptical, Jamie leans back, his hands braced on the bed behind him. “So if I said that fucking you would help me settle in then you’d drop your pants just like that?”

Brian’s gaze flicks to Jamie’s hands, to the wide spread of his fingers against the comforter. 

“Oh.” Jamie’s posture softens, going from something aggressive to interested. “It’s like that, is it? You know, the key to an effective d-pair is communication.” He flips the condom up in the air like a coin then catches it. 

Brian rolls his bottom lip between his teeth. There’s a sting of pain, because he caught a high stick against Colorado. He looks over at Jamie. He doesn’t know the guy basically at all. He was a Star, now he’s a Penguin. He might not even crack the roster. But they traded for him, which makes him a Penguin. And team means he’s safe.

“You wanna fuck me?” Brian asks. He turns his hat back around until the velcro strap scratches his forehead. “The hat’s non-negotiable.”

Jamie laughs, sharp and surprised. “It’s certainly a look.” He shoves his bags to the floor, only keeping the toiletry bag long enough to pull out a travel-size container of lube. Brian kicks his shoes off and pops the button on his jeans. 

Jamie pulls his long sleeve shirt over his head. He’s sculpted, well-muscled in the way that most hockey players are. Brian’s gaze lingers over his biceps then flushes, annoyed with himself for being so predictable. 

“Your turn,” Jamie says.

He leans back again, showing off his chest and the cut of his abs. Brian pulls his shirt over his head then drops it to the floor. He steps out of his jeans without being prompted, but he leaves his boxers on for now. He steps between Jamie’s legs and pushes on his shoulder. Jamie doesn’t budge, just smirks at him, before he makes a show of flopping back on the bed. 

Brian straddles him then leans in to kiss him. He bites at Jamie’s lips, partly in retribution for being a jerk and partly because he’s hot and Brian’s not entirely sure how to deal with his feelings. Jamie wraps one of his big hands around the back of Brian’s neck and squeezes. It’s as if he squeezes all the breath out of Brian at the same time. He blames being light-headed on how easy it is for Jamie to flip them until Brian’s the one flat on his back. 

The brim of his hat catches on the comforter, and he has to tip his head back, exposing his throat to keep his hat from falling off. That, combined with the way his legs splay open, making a space for Jamie, causes the other man to laugh.

“You really want it, huh?” He strokes a hand up Brian’s thigh, his hockey calluses catching against Brian’s leg hair. 

“Are you going to talk the whole time?”

Jamie smiles, slow and easy. “I told you, communication is important.”

Brian pulls him in for another biting kiss, the effect somewhat ruined by Jamie laughing against his mouth. He likes it, though, the way Jamie shakes against him, and the warm puff of air as he turns his head, laughing against Brian’s cheek. 

Brian wriggles out of his boxers, and it’s enough to make Jamie prop himself up. He grabs the lube, and it’s his turn to laugh as Jamie tries to snatch it out of his hands. “Do you know what’s also important in an effective d-pairing? Sharing the workload.” He flicks the lube open one-handed, still holding the bottle above his head. 

Jamie pushes off the bed so he can drop his pants then his boxers. Brian admires the view as he fingers himself. Once he’s ready, he turns over so he’s on his hands and knees.

“Like this?” Jamie asks as he curls a hand around Brian’s hip.

“Sharing the workload.” Brian lets his smirk come through in his voice. “I have better leverage on my hands and knees.”

Jamie flicks the brim of his hat, hard enough for Brian to feel it. “Now I have to look at  _ this _ the whole time?”

“Welcome to Pittsburgh,” Brian says then laughs as Jamie knocks the hat off his head. 


End file.
